Surgical splint



Dec. 25,. 1962 H. l. BARNARD 3,070,091

SURGICAL SPLINT Filed Jan. 26, 1959 F194 Sg 7@ @9.5

INVENTOR. Ham/'Hon I ar'nara' BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ohce 3,070,091 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 3,070,091 SURGECAL SPLINT Hamilton l. Barnard, 2805 E. 9th St., Denver 6, Colo. Filed Jian. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,077 7 Claims. (Cl. 12S-89) This invention relates to surgical splints and more particularly to splints for ingers,-thumbs and toes.

Various types of splints are used in the treatment of fractures and deformities of the thumb, lingers and toes. Some of these are preformed or prefabricated, and others are constructed or assembled piece by piece on the patient. However, the splints heretofore used for the treatment of thumbs, fingers and toes have permitted turning of the ends of the digit held in the splint to the discomfort of the patient and sometimes to the detriment of the surgery.

The present invention provides a departure from prior practice in having a bifurcated portion, one part of which lies against the palm of the hand or foot and the other part lies against a portion of the dorsum of the hand with a stern or splint disposed -at about ninety degrees to the planes of each wing. The stem will act as a splint to the finger or thumb and the wings will stabilize to the finger or thumb and the wings will stabilize to the hand r foot as necessity may warrant. The material of said splint is suiiiciently pliable or flexible to permit it to be bent or shaped to hold the digit in t-he desired position relative to the palm of the hand or the ball of the foot, while said wing portions prevent rotation or turning of the end which supports the digit. Preferably, the contact or supporting surfaces of the splint are covered with a soft, cushioning material, such as sponge rubber.

It is an object of my invention to provide a durable and eiiicient splint for thumbs, fingers or toes which provides a comfortable and effective support, especi-ally following the reduction of fractures or after surgery, and is especially designed to be used after bunion operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and economical splint for thumbs, toes and fingers which can be produced in one or a few standard sizes and used with digits in a large variety of sizes and shapes and which can be `formed or shaped in place to provide the desired support and to prevent rotation of the end of the enclosed digit.

Other objects reside in novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be described in the course of the following description.

The practice of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the features of the invention. ln the drawings, in the several views of which like parts bear similar reference numerals:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of a splint according to my invention;`

FIG. 2 is aside elevation of the splint shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the splint shown in FIG. l, `with the position of a fragmentary hand shown in dash lines, including the thumb disposed in an enclosed position within the splint;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4, FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line 5 5, FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2J the splint of my invention comprises one flat end or stem portion 6 and bifurcated wing portions 7 extending outwardly from a curved crotch 3, the plane of end or stem portion 6 being disposed at approximately ninety degrees to the plane of the bifurcated portions l7, whereby a fiat support is provided for reception of a digit under treatment. Preferably, a cushsimple,

ioning material such `as foam rubber is aiiixed, as `by an adhesive, as a covering 6a for portion 6 and a covering 7a for wing portions 7.

The material of the splint may be any suitable composition, but preferably is formed from aluminum sheet thin enough to provide the desired pliability or flexibility to permit it to be bent or formed into any final selected shape to provide the required support and enclosure for the digit; but it should have suiiicient stiffness to provide the desired support and protection. The aforesaid support may include the application of cotton, gauze and surgical tape or the like to complete the enclosure, but the shaping of wing portions 7 will effectively prevent rotation of the outer end of the treated digit, which protection is not provided in conventional splints.

The splint of this invention may be produced in a variety of sizes, each of which will be effective in treating digits in various sizes. The outer end of each bifurcated portion is nearly circular in shape and of substantial width or diameter extending a considerable distance above and below the horizontal piane of the flat portion. These wide portions may be bent and shaped as required to give the necessary support throughout the length of the digit and to prevent rotation of its outer end. When final shaping is completed the bifurcated portion comprises an enclosure for a portion of the palm of the hand or ball of the foot, with `one wing 7 on top of the hand or foot and the other wing on the palm of the hand or sole of foot as shown in FIG. 3.

In the form shown in the drawings, the splint comprises an integral assembly of Wishbone shape and represents a preferred embodiment. However, it will be understood that if desired the splint may be formed of separated parts, suitably attached as by welding, in which event the flat u horizontal portion may be composed of relatively stiff material, and so long as the extended wing the necessary iiexibility for final shaping, port and protection will be attained.

In use, the splint will have the flat portion of one wing placed in contact with the palm of the hand and the other wing placed in contact with the dorsum of the hand with the stem extending forward along the palm or the side of the finger or thumb. In the same way it can be used on the toes. The stem or splint part can be bent to maintain the finger or digit in the desired position of flexion or extension. Any desired bandaging may be applied around the splint and in the space between the Wings to complete the dressing.

The splint of my invention is especially useful in treating certain deformities of the thumb, or big toe, as well as other digits of the hand or foot following the reduction of fractures or after surgery. It is particularly designed to be used after bunion operations. It may be vsterilized as required, and when producd in a metal such as aluminum presents a clean-appearing surface which does not soil or discolor in normal use.

The provision of the soft surface covering affords comfort to the patient without sacricing protection or support. While foam rubber has been described as a preferred composition of the covering, any material may be used which is soft and yieldable and is capable of bonding or permanent attachment to the metal of the splint.

Changes and modifications may be availed. of within the scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claims.

I claim:

l. A surgical splint comprising a body terminating in a flat, normally horizontal portion at one end thereof, and substantially similarly shaped bifurcated portions extending from a curved crotch in said fiat portion toward the other end of said body in planes disposed at substantially portions possess satisfactory sup- 3 ninety degrees to the plane of the flat portion, and said bifurcated portions being of substantially the same size and sufficiently exible to forrn a shaped enclosure fitting against the palm of a hand or ball of a foot held against turning movement in the space between said portions.

2. A surgical splint comprising a flexible and deformable metallic body terminating in a at, normally hori zontal portion at one end thereof, and substantially similarly shaped bi-furcated portions extending ifro-m a curved crotch in said fiat portion in planes disposed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of the flat portion toward the other end of said body, and said bifurcated portions being sufficiently deformable to be shaped to `tit aga-inst the palm and dorsum of a hand as a stable anchorage for the flat portion supporting a digit of said hand.

3. A surgical splint comprising a body terminating in a hat, normally horizontal portion at one end thereof, substantially similarly shaped bifurcated portions extending from a curved crotch in said fiat portion toward the other end of said body in planes :disposed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of the at portion, said bifurcated portions being sufficiently deformable as to be capable of being molded to a fitted configuration against the palm of a hand or ball of a foot held against turning movement in the space between said porti-ons, and a covering of yieldable .material for the tissue-contacting surfaces of said body.

4. A surgical splint comprising a body of exible yet deformable metal terminating in a flat, normally horizontal portion at one end thereof, .bifurcated portions extending from -a curved crotch in said flat port-ion toward the other end of said body in planes disposed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of the flat portion, said bifurcated portions being nearly similar in shape and suiiiciently flexible to form a shaped enclosure fitting against the palm of a hand or ball of a foot held against turning movement in the space between said portions, and a foam rubber covering for the tissue-contacting sur faces of said body.

5. A surgical splint comprising a generally Wishbone shaped body terminating in a flat portion at one end thereof and having two substantially uniform and parallel flat portions extending rearwardly from the inner end of the ilat portion for supporting a digit of a hand or a foot, and the portions extending krearwardly from said fiat portion being spaced sufficiently to bear against the palm of a hand or ball of a foot and being sufiiciently deformable to be molded to a fitted configuration on said palm or ball so as to form a stabilized anchorage for the portion supporting said digit.

6. A surgical splint comprising a exible, deformable body terminating in a flat, normally horizontal portion at one end thereof and substantially uniform bifurcated portions extending from a curved crotch in said tiat portion toward the other end of said body in planes disposed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of the dat portion, and said biffurcated portions being generally circular in shape and varying from a minimum lvertical dimension near said crotch with gradual increase to a maximum vertical dimension at a point spaced from said crotch and near the extended end of said bifurcated portions.

7. A surgical splint comprising a exible and deformable thin, sheet-like body having an elongated normally planar portion at one end, yan integral bifurcated portion at `the opposite end, each of the wings of the bifurcated portion extending longitudinally from spaced-apart positions at an end of said planar portion, said wings being interconnected to said planar portion along a curved crotch, each of said wings being of similar nearly circular shape and varying from a minimum dimension near said crotch to a maximum dimension at a point distant from said crotch, the length of each said ywing being greater than the length of said planar body, and the plane of said wings being disposed at substantially ninety degrees to the plane of the planar body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,298,529 Maddox Mar. 25, 1919 1,307,083 Dalman inne 17, 1919 2,237,251 Longfellow Apr. 1, 1941 2,499,768 McGlumphy Mar. 7, 1950 2,516,253 Pieterick luly 25 1950 2,800,129 Van Swaay July 23, 1957 2,958,324 Berkemann Nov. 1, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES De Puy: Fracture Appliances Catalogue, 1954, page 28, No. 273 and No. 274 relied on. (Copy in Div. 55.)

Orthopaedic Appliances Atlas, volume l, 1952, iigure 863, page 507 relied on. (Copy in Scientific Library.) 

